After watching most of the debate, I sense that Lobert is a genuine young woman of the faith and it seems very clear to me that God soveriegnly and powerful intervened in her life to save her from destroying herself through prostitution and reconcile her to Himself. She seems to have a real and vibrant faith–praise God for the work He has done in her life!

However, I was shocked to read that she is the founder of a ministry called “Hookers for Jesus.” I must confess that I know very little about the ministry as I was more than a little reticent to type “Hookers for Jesus” into Google to find out more! So if you know more about this ministry, please feel free to let me know in the comment meta! While I don’t think that there is much in a name, names are not unimportant–often times they communicate something about our ministries etc. In this instance I think that is surely the case. “Hookers for Jesus” sounds like a group of prostitutes who get together and talk about how they prostitute themselves for Jesus. Let me say that I know that is NOT the case with this ministry because Lobert is a former prostitute. By the grace of God she is no longer living in that destructive lifestyle!

Like I said, I don’t know much about Lobert’s ministry but from what she said in the debate, I gather that it is aimed at getting the gospel out to prostitutes and seeking to help them out of prostitution and into a saving-relationship with Jesus Christ. I am all for that. I think it posts some obvious risks for someone like Lobert, but I respect her heart to get the gospel out to people who are in slavery to sin as she was and I respect her desire to share her powerful testimony. But let me kindly say that the name of her ministry is poorly titled.

I know what some are going to say–the title is edgy and gets attention and will open doors for ministry . . . there is something in a title, but not that much in a title. I think the best titles communicate exactly what our ministries are about. If its a ministry to help women out of prostitution, call it “Helping Women out of Prostitution” or “Taking the Gospel to Prostitutes.” But “Hookers for Jesus” just sounds terrible and doesn’t communicate what her ministry is really all about.

Furthermore it makes light of a very serious sin issue in our world. Hooker is a derogatory slang word for prostitute. I am not saying that we should dignify prostitution in any way, but I don’t think calling prostitutes “hookers” is appropriate as it makes light of a deeply dark sin issue. Further, if they really hope to reach prostitutes for Christ, why would they want to use such a derogatory and unseemly word in their title?

I feel the same way about XXXchurch. I am glad that they are out there and trying to reach people in the pornography industry for Christ, but what a terrible name! It sounds like a sacreligious haven of pornography. Again, the little I know about XXXchurch is that that is NOT what they are all about. I think they are trying to do a lot of good things for the kingdom, but their title is just bad! Again their title makes light of a very dark and dangerous sin issue. Especially with their “Jesus Loves Porn Stars” Bibles. Yes Jesus loves everyone, even people deep in sin (that is everyone apart from Christ by the way), but He is also just and unless such people repent and believe they are going to experience the just and loving discipline of the Lord for all eternity (Matthew 25; Luke 13; 1 Cor. 6:9-10).

Anyway, I would be interested to hear what you think about these ministries. I think XXXchurch perhaps presents more problems in terms of temptation, especially for the men involved. That said, on the whole, I appreciate people trying to shed the light of the gospel into such dark places, but these titles are just not helpful!

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment meta as I professedly know little about these two ministries beyond what I have heard on TV.

13 Responses

Usually the names that “grate” are reserved for contemporary Christian music bands, but there’s no limit on taste when you’re trying to be relevant.

On the other hand, like you, I appreciate the ministry of XXXchurch and wonder if their effectiveness in the general marketplace would be limited had they chosen a name just to please their Christian supporters.

Of course I also wonder if the triple-X in this comment means it’s going to be spammed!

“However, I was shocked to read that she is the founder of a ministry called “Hookers for Jesus.” I must confess that I know very little about the ministry as I was more than a little reticent to type “Hookers for Jesus” into Google to find out more! So if you know more about this ministry, please feel free to let me know in the comment meta!”

This lady and a group of former prostitutes (all Christians) have a ministry in Las Vegas that helps prostitutes get out of the profession. They provide them with housing, food, clothing, etc. and try to give them spiritual guidance. They had a Nightline special on it two weeks before the Driscoll debate last Thurs.

Not sure what I think about the name; I understand where you are coming from, and am inclined to agree with you.

@Paul–I hear you brother, there are a lot of Christian bands with terrible names! And yeah I am definitely with on XXXchurch–aparently you can write XXXchurch and WordPress doesn’t spam it! I guess you throw church on anything and its ok right?!?

But just to be clear, I really do appreciate what XXXchurch is trying to do.

@Matt–thanks for the info. It sounds like a very worthwhile ministry–I hope they are reaching many!

This post was in no way written to discredit these ministries, I just wanted to say that the names of our ministries are important, especially when they make light of serious sin issues which I feel like these names do.

I should also say that from what I have heard about XXXchurch, it seems that they have had a pretty profound affect on many in the adult film industry, so maybe some of their edgy tactics have paid off.

I thought more about the “Jesus Loves Porn Stars” Bibles and I think, perhaps that is the best place to start with people in such a dark business. My guess is that many of the People in the adult film business have had limited exposure to Spiritual things and I would guess that their view of Christians is that Christians are those who think that porn stars are hideous and ruining the lives of their children. Begging by saying “Jesus loves porn stars” seems to have opened the door to get the gospel out to many in that industry. I think you run into trouble if you stop at “Jesus loves porn stars” and don’t go onto also say, “Jesus hates sin” and “our sin separates us from God.”

Anyway, these are just things that have come to mind, feel free to rebuke me or share a contrary opinion!

Prostitution and pornography respectively. Both go directly against God’s intention for women and men. Both make sex into a business rather than a gift from God to be enjoyed in the context of marriage. I could say much more, but I assume that will suffice for now.

We could say that every sin is a form of “darkness.” As God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). I described these two sins, prostitution and pornography, as “deep” sin issues because someone who has given their life over to either of these businesses has become deeply involved in sexual sin–that seems obvious to me, maybe it does not to you, but to me when someone begins to think of sex as a game or as a business, I would say that they are “deep” in sexual sin. I think the result of such sin is ultimately destructive as Lobert clearly articulated in her testimony. Thus I am glad that she is out there holding out the gospel light as the only means of deliverance from sin! There is hope for all sinners in the gospel! (the point of my article was just that I think the name of Lobert’s ministry is misleading).

Everyone wants to be relevant, and too many buy into these excuses for names.

Whether something ‘works’ is NOT a test, numbers are not a test. Altough i’m not endorsing it, consider ‘teen challenge’ they were effective without having to be ‘edgy’, reaching many gang members, prostitutes and the like.
One of the biggest problems today and something i’ve come across in suburban churches (i’ve previously been in inner-city churches) is that there’s a mentality that says, there should be a special ministry for ‘those’ people (which some mean: somewhere else). The fact is that our local churches should be so BIBLICAL that we are prepared to reach ANY type of lost person, that the support group they need is within the local church (which is made up of people who were converted from vile and abominable lifestyles).
I’m all for bold testimony of our wickedness and God’s amazing grace but these type of terms could cause more harm, it could further alienate people in special groups, and open the doors to similar groups: For those who would defend such an edgy name would you also like, ‘perverts for Jesus’, ‘Murders for Jesus’, ‘Pedophiles for Jesus’, ‘Abortionists for Jesus’ WHAT? doesn’t have a nice ring to it?
The Lord i not and has never been in need of man’s creativity. There’s a lot more to look at in a ministry above ‘do they have good intentions and are they making a difference’ sounds like ‘purpose-driven’ logic to me.

@Julius–good word about our local churches–I completely agree, the local church, not some para church ministry should naturally be a support group for sinners!

In some ways I fear that many of our local churches, especially suburban ones are not ready to be that sort of support group for meth-addicts and prostitutes yet and maybe that is part of the reason for such para church groups. However, that must the goal of our local churches to be a haven for those sick in sin in which they can receive the only news that can free them from slavery to sin–the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Maybe I will post sometime on how our churches can work toward having such ministries and cultivating hearts that will embrace those deep in sin for the sake of Christ.

Well, I’m sure that when the Israelites were called upon to remember Rahab as a harlot who sought the LORD’s favor, for herself and her entire household, that probably didn’t always sit with the Israelites. Why have your name associated with prostitution? But as Francis Schaeffer put it: We are all spiritual harlots. We have prostituted ourselves constantly with other gods.

I like the mention of Joshua’s concern for Rahab’s safety in the book of Joshua, as the mighty men of Israel are plundering Jericho. It reminds us that we are to put our reputation aside for Christ when reaching out to others. The book of Joshua says that during the pillage of Jericho, Joshua remembered Rahab and her household, according to the pledge made for them, and Joshua rescued them to safety during the carnage. And Rahab and her household were the only ones saved during the onslaught against Jericho, for she had hid the messengers, which is what the sons of Israel were to remember from that day onward. Our delight in the covenant of grace, a covenant of heritage, with the Lord has to involve making room for those whom we grind our teeth about. It’s especially true for confessing Christians like us during an age at which people show the sexuality of Rahab but not the faith.

Do you realize what a problem this is?
Inner-city churches are usually less educated, less theologically trained and yet many assume better trained -when they are it’s because they haven’t forgot where they come from, they deal with more realities then theories, they think ‘sinners’ not gang member, criminal, prostitute.

The problem is the mentality of ‘special’ ministry, every church is in areas where these problems prevail they just have different names and manesfestations. Among the preppy honor-roll kids i’ve found more promiscuity, more stories of orgy like parties yet they are better at covering such things up. Indulgence of every kind has always prevailed among high society. Personal ministry is needed more and more–the intrusive ‘what’s going in your life’ type of old school ministry after the preaching.
The usual (business like) ‘let’s touch bases’ over an hr lunch, once a week just doesn’t cut it for most people. How about some real pleading before God in prayer together and wrestling over these scriptures together.
The problem is much due to not facing our own prejudices, stereotypes, and the like, we’ve allowed the world to influence our churches and seminaries and we’ve complicated the gospel and it’s extent.
I’m a military brat, lived most of my childhood overseas–but my views on people is owing to my simple faith in the word. i don’t feel at all intimidated by any certain group, nor feel as though i need to be up to date on the lastest trend to be effective. The work i’m involved in at the juvenile and adult jails isn’t crippled because ‘i don’t come from where they come from’. Whether it’s addicts, theives, rapists, gangs, wrongly accused (YES this happens a lot) and everything else i’m not at all concerned-(i’m not even curious) my one thought is ‘here is a group of wicked people who need the power of the gospel, like i did’ many times the guys assume i’ve lived in their shoes because i don’t preach down to them, and I seem to know their struggles. The fact is I was bound to sin and a rebel against God just like them, regardless of my cleaner exterior, so it’s exactly the same.
This is how the early church was, people steeped in various cults, prostitution, sacrifices, excesses of every kind yet they didn’t need special ministries.
A minister with a valid view of the depravity of man and the power of God (not as an abstract principle) is the best equipped man to reach the lost. Certainly the testimony of the most effective missionaries they went knowing they were no different and went with resolve that what they needed most was the power of the gospel.

[…] April 14th, 2009 Two Christian ministries, Hookers for Jesus and JC’s Girls aim to "save" Las Vegas sex workers from their professions by introducing them to Christianity. Their founders, Annie Lobert and Heather Veitch (respectively,) both ex-sex workers, have been the focus of various interviews & documentaries, and have produced an outreach video series on YouTube: "Saving Sex City: 1, 2, 3, 4. (The series has a MySpace page, as well.) Also see XXXChurch, which targets porn addiction and has been featured previously on MeFi. Lobert recently participated in a rather surreal ABC Nightline "Faceoff" debate regarding the existence of Satan. Predictably, not everyone is thrilled with the groups’ names or methods. […]

I have to say that I find your concern about the name Hookers for Jesus to be banal. You say that you respect Lobert’s work; you think it poses risks for her. That is actually funny. Lobert goes out each night to rescue prostitutes and you question her wisdom. She is going into the highways and byways where you would never dream of going and doing the work of the gospel.
The one who is in danger here is you. Your danger is hubris and hypocrisy. Lobert risks her life, her comfort for the love of this man, Jesus. She takes in others and endures constant shame. Do you openly confess your sexual sins.? I do not mean clouding the crap within with little euphemisms that protect you more than anyone else. Do you ever give it up to let others know that they are not alone in the night. Do you know what courage is?
No, you don’t like the name, but I’ll lventure to say that Jesus loves the name. And you know what, buddy? They may enter the kingdom before you and I. If we go in by ranking, by sacrifice and by love, I’ll see you at the back , and when we get to the door, I’ll go in by the Blood, after you. Let’s not be ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God for salvation for those not ashamed to need Him.
Stephanie

I appreciate your concern and your fervency for the gospel. I would, however, kindly encourage you not to be quite so judgmental in your commenting. For 2 reasons.

1. I really do appreciate what Lobert is doing and I think I made that clear in the post, I was just making a point about “names” of ministries and how they can be misleading. I am all about the gospel going out to the highways and byways. I am thrilled that Lobert is leading prostitutes to Christ–that is awesome!

2. You don’t know me. You don’t know that I will never take the gospel to those places because you don’t know me, you just made a rash judgment that I don’t care about what she is doing because I criticized the name of her ministry. The name mind you, not Lobert or the ministry itself.

There is a productive and Christlike way to share a disagreement with someone on a blog and I would encourage you to think about what that is. This was a really pretty unimportant article–I simply think the title of this ministry is misleading though it may be edgy, I in no way condemned this ministry, in fact, I commended it!

So anyway, I sense you profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that makes you my sister in the Lord, which is awesome! So please know I just share this with you because we all make mistakes, perhaps this post was one of them, but we all desperately need the grace of God demonstrated so profoundly for us in the shed blood of Christ as you shared!